Hurricane Season Preparedness: Tampa Residents Get a Head Start with Free Disaster Kits
TAMPA, Fla – While it may seem early to think about hurricane preparedness, many communities are still recovering from the impacts of the 2024 storms, Milton and Helene. Recognizing this, a dedicated nonprofit organization stepped in to help Tampa residents jumpstart their readiness with free disaster kits.
Volunteers diligently assembled 500 disaster kits, packed with essential supplies including flashlights, fireproof bags, solar-powered battery packs, and dry bags. These kits were distributed free of charge to Tampa residents on Wednesday, providing a crucial boost to their preparedness efforts.
Why Early Preparation Matters
“It gives us more things that we don’t have to go out and look for and have already in our stockpile of things,” said Ken Escobio, a Lake Magdalene resident who gratefully received a kit. This sentiment highlights the value of proactive preparation, especially considering the lingering effects of past storms.
Rebuilding Together Greater Florida, the driving force behind this initiative, partnered with Verizon and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to host a convenient drive-thru event at the AdventHealth Training Center. The goal? To emphasize that you can never be too prepared.
Anna Deeds, a Belleair resident and volunteer at the event, explained, “If you’ve been here for a while, the week before a hurricane, there’s nothing on the shelves. Having a bag that you can put in your closet and that you know that it’s always there, it kind of takes the stress out of it when you’re getting the warnings and the hurricanes actually coming.”
The Importance of Accessible Preparedness
The disaster kits are particularly valuable for those who may lack family support or the financial resources to build a comprehensive preparedness plan. Preparedness can be expensive, but starting early and taking advantage of opportunities like this can significantly reduce the financial burden when disaster strikes.
Kim Mirabella, president of Verizon Frontline, shared a personal story: “My parents’ home flooded so they moved in with my husband and I, which was awesome that we could do that. A lot of people didn’t have a place to go.”
While the kits, valued at around $65, provide a solid foundation, organizers emphasize that they are not a complete solution. “That’s why you need to prepare ahead of time and buy it when it’s on sale,” Escobio advised. A gradual approach to building a disaster kit can ease the financial strain.
Beyond the Kit: Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
In addition to distributing kits, CERT volunteers were on hand to provide information and training. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) programs offer residents the opportunity to learn essential emergency response skills, including search and rescue, disaster psychology, and basic first aid.
Dana Gordon, a South Tampa resident and CERT volunteer, explained the importance of community involvement: “To be able to sit down and learn what to do in an emergency…it was all really good stuff that I can use in other parts of my life. You know there’s only so many Fire and Rescue, so many emergency vehicles out there. So, when there is some sort of natural disaster, the more people that can be trained to help out, the better.” The city of Tampa will begin its next round of CERT training on March 4.
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Source: This report is based on interviews with volunteers, Verizon Frontline, the city of Tampa, and Rebuilding Together Greater Florida, and was reported by FOX 13’s Briona Arradondo.
